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Being Original

Being original isn't about creating something unique. It's not about saying or doing or thinking something that nobody else has said, done, or thought of doing.

Creating from a place of originality means creating from a place where all thoughts, ideas, and dreams originate. It's a realm we all share, a realm where exclusivity and favoritism do not exist, where you and me can be original while doing, thinking, and saying the exact same thing.

All great leaders, thinkers, and writers who have shaped history; all great philosophers, inventors, and revolutionaries who have faced the impossible and changed reality, all of them learned how to strip away everything and tap into this source of unlimited potential.

There is no competition. There is no you verses them. When you create from a place of pure love and creativity, a place without fear or competition, without self-doubt or limitation, a place void of ego and selfishness, then you will create work that is original.

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Very well put. What you describe is our natural heritage as human beings. But we’ve been robbed of that heritage by the pressure from the status quo to conform to its version of reality, and to play the roles it dictates; to ‘play the game’. Meanwhile our spirit, our life is crushed and moulded into the square, the pigeon-hole.

Originality equates with uniqueness; is BEING unique. There is nothing in all time and space that is ever duplicated, yet we are all born into cultures that impose conformity upon every individual. We have to conform if we want to belong. We have to conform if we want to survive. Up until fairly recently we had to conform on the threat of death. It takes courage to be your unique self, to be different, and to express that difference. It’s safe to conform.

Yet we have come to the point in our evolution where we must break free from that conformity, and discover who we really are, and where our potentials lie. We need to do it for ourselves, each other, and for the planet.

When we are expressing our uniqueness, there can be no comparison or opposition. Yet we feel neither superior, nor egotistic. We can honor the value of all life and cherish its pricelessness. If we are fortunate enough to meet another who is also centered in their uniqueness, then we only serve to joyfully share and enhance each others knowledge and gifts.

What you said about uniqueness is so true, yet not immediately obvious. When we’re expressing our uniqueness, there cannot be, by default, any comparison. Likewise, when we value and honor life, it doesn’t matter what form that life takes; it’s all equal.

I’m not sure if it’s possible to really create without fear, but we should definitely be creating in spite of fear. Fear will always be there, in one form or another, but knowing that we’re capable of overcoming it gives us the strength to venture into the unknown, to push our boundaries and discover new levels.

Beautifully said Raam and such wonderful insight! All the noise in the blogoshpere, twitter, FB, etc. can be so distracting – and all consuming as people get caught up in believing they are doing something great by following other people. Sure, it’s nice to connect with like-minds and feel a part of something, but too many of us live perpetually in that condition.

Only when we take time on a consistent basis to go to that place of silence, the “realm where all thoughts, ideas, and dreams originate” will we be truly capable of and channels for great words and ideas.

You’re absolutely right about the blogosphere and social media being distracting. It’s distracting us from creating and exploring original ideas.

Your comment made me realize how meditation is an excellent way to reconnect with that place of silence, that realm where thoughts, dreams, and ideas originate.

We need to take meditative breaks from the blogosphere and from social media too. Even something as simple as taking a walk outside or a hike through the forest, with no electronic distraction, would be enough to help us reconnect with our inner selves.

I wish you could speak at schools. My daughter, a 7th grader, is struggling with the “being unique, but still yearning to be accepted” dilemma at her school. She went in a confident, funny and genuine young lady and due to her classmates’ taunting and passive aggressive comments (always unseen and unheard by the faculty and staff) she is now a broken and tortured kid that has become angry and disrespectful of the very teachers that will not protect her. I wish she could see beyond these cruel years and her insensitive peers and know that her uniqueness is what makes her even more valuable. How do you convince a bunch of 13 year old girls to shut their mouths if they do not have anything nice to say?

Hi Cristy,
Have you heard of EFT (emotional freedom technique)? You would be able to help your daughter to become unaffected by her peers, and to let go of the anger toward her teachers. In my experience of EFT over several years I’ve had wonderful results. It is easily self-taught from the website’s free manual, or you could track down a professional (it can be administered over the phone too). You can read all about EFT on the original founder’s site: http://www.eftuniverse.com . There is a link on children’s issues there too.
Best wishes for your daughter’s healing.

Seeing as how I was home schooled, I find it difficult to offer advice for your daughter. However, my instinct tells me that what younger children must realize is that staying quiet is often more powerful than speaking.

Honour mentioned looking into EFT; I don’t have any direct experience with it, but I’ve heard a lot of good things about it from people I trust.

Being original, I think, doesn’t call for any needless complexity — any pointless (but very human) needling over uniqueness, ego, etc.

Being original, I think, is just being me — a me that wants to love, that wants to give, and wants to do so with everything I can offer.

That’s a refreshing perspective, Raam, and one that I want to keep close when I write. It’s difficult to let go of competitiveness, but oh-so rewarding when what I create comes from that place of love and selflessness you advocate.

You’re so right about it being difficult, Matt. I find it incredibly challenging to write without comparing my work to others or wondering to myself, “What will they think about this?”

I think that’s why so often great writing is a result of the need to say something, the need to get it out no matter what the consequences. When we write because we genuinely feel we need to say something, we forget about what others are going to think about it. We drop competitiveness and self-judging and instead say what we need to say, straight from the heart.

I totally agree with you Raam. I have found the times I write without any preparation or preconceive format, words flow from my heart to my fingers. No thoughts, its as if my higher self has taken over and what I most need to get out at that moment comes through effortlessly and authentically. I have also noticed its those posts that people connect with the most.

We all connect most strongly with authenticity, with that which is real. That’s why people of integrity — those who are true to themselves — are the most attractive people to be around. Just as we should write from the heart, we should also live our lives authentically, from the heart.

Hi Raam ,
Nice insight Raam.
It was like reading my own thoughts.
The unlimited source – is something that i’m working on as well. On my way , i stumbled with a stone of labyrinthitis and it introduced you to me.

As about the last 3 or 4 lines of the post : I often find myself giving best outputs when there wasn’t competition .. In other words , i feel when there is no pressure and when you are relaxed , in sync , output is better . Probably its the capacity to handle pressures that we need to work upon…

Thank you for the comment; I’m glad you found me via the labyrinthitis post… it seems that post is quite popular thanks to Google!

I agree that when we’re relaxed our output is better. But I’m not sure that the best way to achieve relaxation is to increase our capacity for handling pressure. Instead, I feel that we should learn how release whatever it is that causes us to feel pressure in the first place.